Tall and elegant, dressed in black velvet, and with her silver hair worn up in the style of an Edwardian suffragette, Judy Collins, at 71, is still strikingly attractive. More perhaps even than Baez, Judy Collins is, at least to the rock crowd, the classic interpretive singer of the folk era and beyond, giving Sondheim his only top 40 hit with her rendition of 'Send In The Clowns'. There is a timeless quality to her voice, somewhere North of folk and South of Broadway, and the stage decorated with a dozen red roses could be set in a small club or grand concert hall.

Tonight, in front of a crowd of maybe 200, she plays 12 string acoustic and is accompanied by her musical director Russell Walden on piano. She leads with 'Both Sides Now'. There is no doubting that her vocal talents are undiminished, particularly when she gives an off the cuff version of 'My Funny Valentine'. And this sets the tone; she tells us of her childhood and early career, breaking into snatches of songs as she goes. Being in Belfast she recalls coming here in 1966 and meeting the McPeake Family who wrote 'Purple Heather' which she sings accompanied only by the crowd singing softly. It was a magical moment; but only one of many.

She recalls meeting a shy Leonard Cohen, who presented her with what he thought 'might be a song', which lead to her recording 'Suzanne', although strangely tonight she chooses to play a bluesy version of 'Bird On A Wire'. Collins tells tales of Dylan, Baez, her relationship with Stephen Stills and more but in a self effacing way, never seeking to place herself at the centre of the story. Her version of 'Diamonds and Rust' sounds more like Baez than Baez these days. She is more than comfortable with her role in encouraging and bringing to notice the talents of others.

The crowd are, quite rightly, reverential and spellbound. I have never been to a gig where the barmen tiptoed about behind the bar, and put ice into glasses one cube at a time, in case they disturbed the performance, and if she can do that in Belfast I think Judy Collins may have quite the career ahead of her.